HOW AM I MADE

BECAUSE WE HAVE A GOD WHO HAS CREATED EVERYTHING FROM NOTHING THE ANSWER THAT WE SEARCH FOR MOST OF OUR LIVES IS PLAIN TO SEE IN THE BOOK OF PSALMS ....... GOD TELLS US THIS , "For YOU created my inmost being ; YOU knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise YOU because I am fearfully and wonderfully made ; YOUR works are wonderful , I know that full well .My frame was not hidden from YOU when I was made in the secret place . When I was woven together in the depths of the earth , YOUR eyes saw my unformed body . All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be . " PSALM 139: 13-16.......... WE ARE GODS MOST PRECIOUS CREATIONS AND IN THE BOOK OF GENESIS HE REVEALS TO US JUST HOW MUCH LOVE HE HAS FOR US WHEN HE SAYS , " Then GOD said , " Let us make man in our own image , in our likeness , and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air , over the livestock and over all the earth , and over all the creatures that move along the ground . So GOD created man in HIS own image , in the image of GOD HE created him ; male and female HE created them . " GENESIS 1:26-27 ........ WE CAN HAVE CONFIDENCE KNOWING THAT GOD LOVES US DEEPLY BY READING THE SCRIPTURE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT , " For GOD so loved the world that HE gave HIS one and only SON , that whoever believes in HIM shall not perish but have eternal life . " JOHN 3:16 .........WE CAN ALSO REST IN THE WORDS OF HEBREWS 2:5-8 WHEN THE LORD JESUS REVEALS , " It is not to the angels that HE has subjected the world to come , about which we are speaking. But there is a place where someone has testified : '' What is man that YOU are mindful of him , the SON of man that YOU care for HIM ? YOU made him a little lower than the angels ; YOU crowned him with glory and honor and put everything under his feet . " ......... HAVING A FATHER IN HEAVEN WHO HAS FORMED US WITH HIS OWN HANDS AND BREATHED LIFE INTO OUR VERY EXISTENCE AS WELL AS PROMISES US THE GLORY OF ETERNAL SALVATION IS A COMFORT TO US WHEN WE TAKE THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AT OUR SIDE ......... IF WE TRULY UNDERSTAND HOW WE ARE MADE THEN WE REST IN THE COMFORT OF HIS PROMISES .......... IF NOT WE ASK FOR GOD TO DRAW US NEAR TO HIM AND THEN WE BEGIN TO READ HIS HOLY WORD , THE BIBLE ............................................SUMMER

PASSING THROUGH ON OUR WAY HOME

ALTHOUGH WE MAY CALL THIS EARTH OUR HOME AND WE MAY SET UP HOUSE AT A PARTICULAR STREET ADDRESS , THE LORD REMINDS US IN HIS WORD THAT OUR TRUE RESIDENCE IS WITH HIM IN HEAVEN ........" PASSING THROUGH " IS A WAY OF DESCRIBING OUR LIFE HERE ON EARTH ........ DEFINITELY FILLED WITH A VARIETY OF TRIUMPHS AND TRAGEDIES WE ARE CONSTANTLY UP AGAINST CIRCUMSTANCES THAT LEAVE US AMAZED, BEWILDERED, CONFUSED AND EVEN FRIGHTENED.......AT TIMES "LIFE AS KNOW IT " CEASES TO BE , CHALLENGING EVEN THOSE MOST MATURE IN THEIR FAITH....... AS PROFESSOR AND THEOLOGIAN D.A.CARSON SAID , " THERE IS NOTHING IN SCRIPTURE TO ENCOURAGE US TO THINK WE SHOULD ALWAYS BE FREE FROM THE VICISSITUDES THAT PLAGUE A DYING WORLD. " ........ SO , HOW IS IT THAT WE ARE TO PERSEVERE WHEN THERE ARE NO WORDS ........ IN THE 2nd BOOK OF CORINTHIANS 4:17-18 GOD'S WORD DESCRIBES OUR TROUBLES AS SUCH , " For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far out weighs them all . So we fix our eyes not on what is seen , but on what is unseen . For what is seen is temporary , but what is unseen is eternal . " ........TO UNDERSTAND THIS SCRIPTURE WE MUST BELIEVE AND UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A HEAVEN ....... JESUS CHRIST RESIDES IN HEAVEN WITH GOD OUR FATHER AND HIS MOST HOLY SPIRIT ......... WHEN WE COME TO KNOW JESUS AS OUR SAVIOUR WE FIND OUT THAT WE SERVE A LIVING GOD WHO IS ALWAYS PRESENT WITH US IN TIMES OF JOY AND SORROW AS WRITTEN , " Be strong and courageous . Do not be afraid or terrified because of them , for the LORD your GOD goes with you ; HE will never leave nor forsake you . " DEUTERONOMY 31-6........ THEREFORE SINCE GOD HAS CREATED US WE WILL SOMEDAY RETURN HOME TO HIM ........ "Do not let your be troubled . Trust in GOD ; trust also in ME. In MY FATHER'S house there are many rooms; if it were not so , I would have told you . I am going there to prepare a place for you . And if I go and prepare a place for you , I will come back and take you to be with ME that you also may be where I am ." JOHN 14:1- 3 ......THE HOPE OF HEAVEN ALLOWS US TO PUT THE DARK TIMES OF LIFE IN PERSPECTIVE ....... AND ALTHOUGH THE BIBLE ENCOURAGES US TO ENJOY THE BLESSINGS THAT GOD BESTOWS UPON US AS SAID IN THE 1st BOOK OF TIMOTHY 6:17 , IT ALSO REMINDS US , " Do not love the world or anything in it . If anyone loves the world , the love of the FATHER is not in him . " 1st JOHN 2:15 ......... KNOWING JUST HOW MUCH GOD LOVES US GIVES US THE COURAGE AND THE STRENGTH TO OBEY HIM AS APOSTLE PAUL DID WHEN HE SAYS ," I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which GOD has called me heavenward in CHRIST JESUS . " PHILIPPIANS 3:14 ....... AND ALSO WHEN HE SAYS , "Rejoice in the LORD always . I will say it again: REJOICE! Let your gentleness be evident to all . The LORD is near . Do not be anxious about anything , but in everything , by prayer and petition , with thanksgiving , present your requests to GOD . And the peace of GOD , which transcends all understanding , will guard your hearts and your minds in CHRIST JESUS . " PHILIPPIANS 4:4-7 ........AS THE NEW YEAR BEGINS THERE WILL BE TRIALS AND THERE MAY BE TRAGEDY AND YES , THERE WILL BE JOY AS WE ARE PASSING THROUGH ON OUR WAY HOME ........MY PRAYER IS THAT THE LORD BE WITH YOU..........................SUMMER

SNOWFLAKES & WIND

WELL I KNEW WE COULD NOT ESCAPE THIS WINTER WITHOUT AT LEAST ONE BLIZZARD LIKE STORM ....... BUT THERE'S SOMETHING SERENE ABOUT THE ACTIVITY THAT A BLIZZARD BRINGS ABOUT THAT WARMS MY HEART AND MAKES ME FEEL LIKE A PIONEER FROM THE 1800'S ....... AS I GAZE OUT THE PICTURE WINDOW IN MY KITCHEN I CAN SEE NO FURTHER THAN THE BIG OL' SPRUCE TREE IN THE YARD ...... OUT EVEN FURTHER THERE'S A HALO AROUND THE STREET LAMP WHICH GIVES OFF A GLOW AS THE SNOW WHIPS THROUGH THE AIR AT NEAR 40 MILES PER HOUR ....... SO WHAT'S A GAL TO DO ON A COLD WINTERS NIGHT AS SUCH ?? WHAT ELSE OTHER THAN TO COOK UP A BIG POT OF BEEF BARLEY VEGETABLE SOUP & BAKE A REALLY DELICIOUS COCONUT CAKE WITH CREAMY COCONUT ICING !! SO AFTER MY BIG STRONG HUBBY FINISHED MOVING THE SNOW FROM OUR DRIVEWAY WE DELIGHTED IN THIS WONDERFUL WINTER FEAST ..... TONIGHT'S WINTER WEATHER REMINDS ME OF THE OLD TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES OF ECCLESIASTES 3:1-8 .IT IS IN THIS BOOK OF THE BIBLE THAT STATES ,"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven : a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build , a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up,a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,a time to love and a time to hate,a time for war and a time for peace." GOD ALWAYS HAS A TIME FOR EVERYTHING BUT THE QUESTION IS DO WE HAVE A TIME FOR GOD ??

AN OL' MAN AND A DOG

SHOULD I DARE SAY THAT I LONG FOR ANOTHER DOG BECAUSE OF THE LOVELY MEMORIES WE HAVE OF OUR SINCE BELOVED GOLDEN RETRIEVER (SIR HAPPY JACK ) & OUR MIXED BREED LAB/SHEPARD (MISS DAISY ) . IT ALL BEGAN YESTERDAY WHEN OUR 88 YEAR OLD, RECENTLY WIDOWED NEIGHBOR FRANK CAME OVER TO OUR HOUSE WITH A REALLY PRETTY DOG NAMED HENNA ....... YOU SAY HOW DID AN 88 YEAR OLD MAN COME UPON A BEAUTY LIKE THAT ......WELL, HE INFORMED ME THAT A FRIEND ASKED HIM TO DOG SIT FOR THE WEEK. AT FIRST WHILE WE SPOKE, FRANK WAS A BIT PERTURBED BECAUSE HE WOULD HAVE THIS DOG FOR A WHOLE 7 DAYS (AS YOU WOULD EXPECT ) ...... AND IT WOULD BE KIND TO SAY THIS DOG HAD THE STENCH OF AN OL' FISH TOWEL !!!!! AS WE CHATTED AND PLAYED WITH THE DOG RESENTMENTS FADED ...... FRANK WENT HOME AND I WENT TO BED ....... ONLY TO AWAKEN THIS MORNING THINKING ABOUT HOW THIS DOG TRULY WOULDN'T BE A BEAUTY 'TIL SHE HAD A BATH . WEATHER FORECAST : RAIN !! LOOKING OUT MY WINDOW I SEE THIS OL' WIDOWED MAN WALKING THIS BEAUTY , THUNDER & ALL !! SEEING THIS TOOK MY THOUGHTS TO THE BOOK OF GENESIS 2:18-24 ,WHERE THE LORD GOD PLACED ADAM IN THE GARDEN WITH THE EXISTING ANIMALS , TO BE OVER THEM AND NAME THEM ,YET ADAM HAD NO SUITABLE HELPMATE ...... ADAM ENJOYED THE ANIMALS BUT BECAUSE HE WAS MADE IN GODS IMAGE (GENESIS 1 :27) HE LONGED FOR A SUITABLE HELPMATE ....... SO YOU SEE , THE ANIMALS CAN BE A GREAT SOURCE OF COMFORT FOR US ,HOWEVER BECAUSE WE ARE MADE IN GODS IMAGE , HE LONGS FOR US TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM .HE ALSO WANTS US TO RECIPROCATE THAT & CULTIVATE LOVING RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER PEOPLE. AS WE DO THAT WE BEGIN TO LEARN THAT THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE MOST IMPORTANT ........ WOULDN'T TODAY BE A GOOD DAY TO REACH OUT AND FORM A RELATIONSHIP WITH SOMEBODY LIKE FRANK ......OR MAYBE REKINDLE A RELATIONSHIP THAT HAS TAKEN A BACK SEAT TO OTHER OBSESSIONS IN OUR LIVES...... TRUST THAT IT'S NEVER TOO LATE .MAY PEACE BE WITH YOU ALWAYS, SUMMER